Falcons Travel to Laramie to Battle the Cowboys The Air Force men’s basketball team returns to Mountain West play on Saturday, Jan. 26 against the Wyoming Cowboys. Tip-off at the Arena Auditorium in Laramie, Wyo., is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game will be televised in the Rocky Mountain Region on ROOT Sports. Air Force improved to 11-6 and is 2-2 in the Mountain West after defeating New Orleans 90-48 Wednesday at Clune Arena. Wyoming fell to 15-3 and 2-3 in league play with a 62-50 loss at UNLV on Thursday.

2-2 Ties Fourth-Best Start Ever in League Play Air Force’s 2-2 record in the Mountain West ties the fourth-best start ever in program history after four league games. The Falcons have been 4-0 twice in the past (2003-04 and `06-07), 3-1 twice (2004-05 and ‘05-06) and this is the fourth time at 2-2, most recently during the 2007-08 campaign.

70 Points Seems to be the Key Air Force is 9-2 this season when it scores 70 points or more and 2-4 when scoring less than 70. The two wins are against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (65-49) and UC Riverside (61-53). Defensively speaking, the Falcons are a perfect 9-0 when allowing 70 points or less and 2-6 when allowing more than 70. The two victories were an 86-72 triumph over Montana State and the 91-80 win over Boise State on Saturday.

Coaches vs. Cancer “Suits and Sneakers” Game This weekend is Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, giving coaches and staffs nationwide the chance to raise awareness of the many ways people can reduce their risk of cancer, like eating right, exercising, making healthy lifestyle choices, and following the American Cancer Society’s recommended cancer screening guidelines by wearing sneakers with their suits while coaching. Corporations and individuals are encouraged to join their favorite teams and coaches in the fight against cancer by Suits and Sneakers Challenge. Individuals make a donation to Coaches vs. Cancer for the opportunity to wear sneakers to work for a day or a series of days leading up to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Final Four each year.

Up Next The Falcons return home for the first of two straight Mountain West games at Clune Arena against league-newcomer Fresno State on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. (MT).

Michael Lyons Moves Into No. 8 Spot on Career Scoring List Senior Michael Lyons moved into eighth place on Air Force’s career scoring list with 14 points against New Orleans on Wednesday. He became the 23rd player in Air Force history to reach the 1,000-point plateau against Army in the season opener. Lyons, who entered the season with 997 career points, sank a three-pointer 2:16 into the game to join the prestigious club. The last Falcon to join the 1,000-point club was Matt McCraw in 2007. Lyons has 1,313 career points and needs eight points to move into seventh place.

Most Assists in One Game Since 1997 Air Force had 27 assists in its victory over New Orleans on Wednesday, the most in one game since a school-record 36 against Doane on Nov. 22, 1997. Tre’ Coggins dished out a career-high eight and 11 Falcons had at least one. The Falcons also posted 26 assists agaisnt Western State and 25 against Montana State.

Todd Fletcher in Sixth Place on Career Assist List Senior Todd Fletcher moved into sixth place on AFA’s career assist list against Jackson State on Nov. 28. Fletcher, who is ranked third in the Mountain West with 3.9 assists per game, dished out a season-high eight against Western State and at UNLV and has 316 for his career.

Third Time Ever with Multiple 40-Point Wins For just the third time in program history, Air Force has won multiple games by at least 40 points in the same season. The Falcons defeated Regis 83-43 on Nov. 18 and New Orleans 90-48 on Wednesday. It also happened in the first season of 1956-57 (twice) and 2006-07 (twice).Lyons Leads the Mountain West in Scoring After scoring a career-high 37 points last Saturday against Boise State, Michael Lyons returned to the top of the Mountain West scoring list. He is averaging 18.6 points per game after scoring 14 against New Orleans on Wednesday. He is ranked 33rd in the nation in scoring according to the latest NCAA Division I rankings released on Friday, Jan. 25.

Still a Solid Record at Clune Including their 8-1 record this season, the Falcons have been hard to beat at Clune Arena the last nine-plus seasons. Since the beginning of the 2003-04 season, Air Force has won 113 of its 150 home games, good for a .753 winning percentage. In addition, the Falcons have won 43 of their 73 Mountain West games at Clune during that same stretch (.589 pct).

Largest Jump in the RPI Last Week Air Force produced the largest jump in the country last week in the NCAA RPI rankings released on Monday, Jan. 21. The Falcons were ranked No. 143 on Monday, Jan. 14 and jumped 47 spots to No. 96 on the 21st. The Mountain West has six teams in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI.

Mike Fitzgerald No. 6 on AFA’s Career 3-Pt Percentage List Senior Mike Fitzgerald attempted his 150th career 3-pointer last season against Johnson & Wales, making him eligible for Air Force’s career list for three-point percentage. Fitzgerald is shooting 40.2 percent (101-for-251) for his career, placing him sixth on the list.

Todd Fletcher Sixth in Nation in Assist-Turnover Ratio Senior point guard Todd Fletcher leads the Mountain West and is ranked No. 6 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio at 3.35. Fletcher has 67 assists and 20 turnovers in 17 games this season.

Most Points Ever in Mountain West Game Air Force’s 91 points vs. Boise State last Saturday were the most scored by an Air Force team in a Mountain West game, surpassing the previous high of 88 against Wyoming on Feb. 3, 2007. It was also the third-most ever in any conference game and the most since scoring 92 against Hawaii on Jan. 18, 1996.

All Six Losses to Winning Teams The six teams that have defeated Air Force this season have a combined 90-25 record (.783 winning percentage). Wichita State is 18-2, Colorado is 13-6, Florida is 15-2, Richmond is 13-7, UNLV is 16-4 and Colorado State is 15-4. Colorado, Florida, UNLV and Wichita State have been in the Top 25 this season.